2 Kings 1

1 Mo'av rebelled against Yisra'el after the death of Ach'av.

2 Achazyah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Shomron, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said to them, Go, inquire of Ba`al-Zevuv, the god of `Ekron, whether I shall recover of this sickness.

3 But the angel of the LORD said to Eliyah the Tishbi, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Shomron, and tell them, Is it because there is no God in Yisra'el, that you go to inquire of Ba`al-Zevuv, the god of `Ekron?

4 Now therefore thus says the LORD, You shall not come down from the bed where you are gone up, but shall surely die. Eliyah departed.

5 The messengers returned to him, and he said to them, Why is it that you have returned?

6 They said to him, There came up a man to meet us, and said to us, Go, turn again to the king who sent you, and tell him, Thus says the LORD, Is it because there is no God in Yisra'el, that you send to inquire of Ba`al-Zevuv, the god of `Ekron? therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you are gone up, but shall surely die.

7 He said to them, What manner of man was he who came up to meet you, and told you these words?

8 They answered him, He was a hairy man, and girt with a belt of leather about his loins. He said, It is Eliyah the Tishbi.

9 Then [the king] sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. He went up to him: and, behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. He spoke to him, man of God, the king has said, Come down.

10 Eliyah answered to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from the sky, and consume you and your fifty. Fire came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty.

11 Again he sent to him another captain of fifty and his fifty. He answered him, man of God, thus has the king said, Come down quickly.

12 Eliyah answered them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from the sky, and consume you and your fifty. The fire of God came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty.

13 Again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. The third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Eliyah, and begged him, and said to him, man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty your servants, be precious in your sight.

14 Behold, fire came down from the sky, and consumed the two former captains of fifty with their fifties; but now let my life be precious in your sight.

15 The angel of the LORD said to Eliyah, Go down with him: don't be afraid of him. He arose, and went down with him to the king.

16 He said to him, Thus says the LORD, Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Ba`al-Zevuv, the god of `Ekron, is it because there is no God in Yisra'el to inquire of his word? therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you are gone up, but shall surely die.

17 So he died according to the word of the LORD which Eliyah had spoken. Yehoram began to reign in his place in the second year of Yehoram the son of Yehoshafat king of Yehudah; because he had no son.

18 Now the rest of the acts of Achazyah which he did, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Yisra'el?

2 Kings 1 Commentary

Chapter 1

The revolt of Moab-Sickness of Ahaziah, king of Israel. (1-8) Fire called from heaven by Elijah-Death of Ahaziah. (9-18)

Verses 1-8 When Ahaziah rebelled against the Lord, Moab revolted from him. Sin weakens and impoverishes us. Man's revolt from God is often punished by the rebellion of those who owe subjection to him. Ahaziah fell through a lattice, or railing. Wherever we go, there is but a step between us and death. A man's house is his castle, but not to secure him against God's judgments. The whole creation, which groans under the burden of man's sin, will, at length, sink and break under the weight like this lattice. He is never safe that has God for his enemy. Those that will not inquire of the word of God for their comfort, shall hear it to their terror, whether they will or no.

Verses 9-18 Elijah called for fire from heaven, to consume the haughty, daring sinners; not to secure himself, but to prove his mission, and to reveal the wrath of God from heaven, against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Elijah did this by a Divine impulse, yet our Saviour would not allow the disciples to do the like, ( Luke 9:54 ) . The dispensation of the Spirit and of grace by no means allowed it. Elijah was concerned for God's glory, those for their own reputation. The Lord judges men's practices by their principles, and his judgment is according to truth. The third captain humbled himself, and cast himself upon the mercy of God and Elijah. There is nothing to be got by contending with God; and those are wise for themselves, who learn submission from the fatal end of obstinacy in others. The courage of faith has often struck terror into the heart of the proudest sinner. So thunderstruck is Ahaziah with the prophet's words, that neither he, nor any about him, offer him violence. Who can harm those whom God shelters? Many who think to prosper in sin, are called hence like Ahaziah, when they do not expect it. All warns us to seek the Lord while he may be found.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS

\\COMMONLY CALLED THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE KINGS\\

This, and the preceding book, are properly but one book divided into two parts, because of the size of it, as the book of Samuel; it is a continuation of the history of the kings of Israel and Judah; and for a further account of it the reader is referred to the title of the preceding book.

\\INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 1\\

This chapter begins with the rebellion of Moab against Israel, 2Ki 1:1, relates a fall of the king of Israel in his house, which brought on him a sickness, about which he sent messengers to inquire of the god of Ekron, who were stopped by Elijah, and bid to return, as they did; and upon the king's examination of them about the cause of their return, he perceived it was Elijah that forbad them, 2Ki 1:2-8, upon which the king sent to him two captains, with fifty men each, one after another, to bring him to him, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 2Ki 1:9-12, but a third with fifty men sent to him were spared, and he is bid to go along with them with a message to the king, as he did, 2Ki 1:13-16 and the chapter is closed with the death of Ahaziah, 2Ki 1:17,18.